Review: Molekul's 11th outing is a various artists' affair with each of them exploring high-impact techno with a retro bent. JKS's 'Express Yourself' is a video game soundtrack for a post-apocalyptic shoot-em up. "Bad Boy" Pete brings dark and driving breakbeats infused with fierce stabs on 'Champion Sound' and Jacidorex brings some warped acid lines to the ever ascending and tightly stacked 'Extinctor.' Vikkei shut down with 'E Fallo Uno', which is an update of a manic hardstyle sound with caustic synths running a mock. Pure dance floor carnage, this.
Review: New year, new vibes. Outside In kicks off its 2025 with a lush EP from fine Brazilian producer Villaca. Each of these four tracks tells its own story by weaving rich textures and cooking up moods that pull you in deep. The standout is 'Nineteen,' a powerful collab with Paraguayan artist Wildo that marries proggy, trancey pads with stiff drums and motorik energy. 'Your Eyes' is another mix of trippy vocal effects and roaming bass with starry-eyed pads. 'Surfnet' is a right, turbo-charged and electric prog techno workout and 'Same But Different' brings some celestial energy to a late night and unsettling techno bouncer.
Review: Interdance impressed with its first couple of forays onto wax and now its third release packs in more fresh talent from South America's underground. On the A-side, Buenos Aires' Vinz delivers two standout tracks: 'Instinto,' a raw, trance-tinged techno trip straight from 1992, and 'Transradio,' which is a cinematic journey with pounding drums and acidic synth lines burrowing deep. Flip to the B-side for Uruguayan producer Juan Dairecshion's deeper, more hypnotic sound on 'Rebel Rebel,' which rides a steady four-on-the-floor pulse, while 'UR Love' dives into murky, Detroit-inspired territory with eerie vocals and twisted melodies inspired by the group name-checked in the title. A bold, mind-bending four-tracker built for serious late-night floors.
Oh Mr James - "Rechargeable Battery Acid" (Esc mix) (4:30)
Meta Program - "VHJhbnNjZW5kIFlvdXIgRXhp" (AF edit) (4:08)
Naqara - "Weeping_Ob" (4:36)
RTR - "Signe Noir" (7:04)
Patricia - "Wind Driven Water" (6:37)
Novel 23 - "Blink Run Away To East" (4:11)
Rolando Simmons - "It's Not Only Up 2 Me" (4:50)
Qeta - "Remoaner" (4:09)
Fasme - "Focus" (5:35)
Alberta Balsam - "Avalanche" (4:01)
Mr 76ix - "Octember" (3:50)
Review: Techno is a misunderstood thing. Big stages and even bigger drums pounding out relentless and often unthoughtful loops really isn't where the genre is as a whole. One of the most varied sounds in the dance spectrum, defining the canon has always been pretty hard and zeitgeist counts for more than strict rules of arrangement, tempo and composition. Sixty is just the reassurance heads will need then. While some might argue we're closer to electro than anything, for the most part anyway, perhaps no more so than in the detailed and glitchy warmth of 'Micfrk' by Gherat, let's not get pedantic. Largely broken and off-centre beats of the deep, emotive and patient kind from innovators like Patricia and Fasme, frenetic and intense staccato snares via Oh Mr Jones, rave-y, hardcore infused emotive bombs via Novel 23 and James Shinra.
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